In Lviv, the city commission on technogenic and environmental safety and emergency situations carried out an inspection of a large shelter in the Vilna Ukraina publishing house building on Volodymyra Velykoho Street. The protective structure is designed for 600 people and has an area of 682.6 sq m.
Following the inspection, the shelter was deemed to be in satisfactory condition and in use by residents and employees during air-raid alerts. Inside, there are tables, chairs, benches and other furniture for people to stay for extended periods, as well as lighting and a ventilation system. At the same time, the commission recorded a number of shortcomings that need to be remedied.
The head of the city department for civil protection and territorial defence, Mykola Yalovyi, reported that the main comments concern the operation of the ventilation and the accessibility of the emergency exit. The building manager has been instructed to bring the ventilation system into proper working order within three months and to ensure free access to the emergency exit, where tenants’ belongings are currently stored. The district administration must tidy up the pavements and approaches to the shelter on both sides of the building to make the entrance more convenient for people.
Representatives of the State Emergency Service in Lviv region noted that this shelter has been inspected before and that some work has already been carried out recently: in particular, the doors have been repaired and the renewal of the ventilation system has begun. The shelter is in state ownership.
First Deputy Mayor of Lviv Andriy Moskalenko stressed that the city authorities are focusing on cooperation with the owners of protective structures rather than on sanctions.
“Our task is to discuss and work through the difficult situations that may await us in winter because of enemy attacks. That is why it is important that shelters with additional protection are properly prepared, regardless of who owns them — whether the state, the city or private companies. The same approach applies to everyone” — Andriy Moskalenko
The shelter is used not only by the staff and tenants of the publishing house, but also by residents of the surrounding buildings. According to the head of the Frankivsk District Administration, Halyna Narivna, around 2,500 people live in this microdistrict — residents of Volodymyra Velykoho Street and part of Stryiska Street, including both new developments and older housing.
The inspection of the shelter in the Vilna Ukraina building took place as part of a citywide inspection of large protective structures in Lviv. Earlier, the commission inspected shelters on the premises of the former Bus Plant and the Elektron-Karat enterprise, where owners were likewise obliged to put the premises in order and guarantee access for people during air-raid alerts.
The city is considering the possibility of transferring some protective structures that are currently in private ownership into municipal ownership. This primarily concerns shelters located near places where large numbers of people gather.
Video of the shelter inspection: watch on YouTube